Unlike Anna Kournikova, Gabriela Sabatini was a tennis beauty who actually became a Grand Slam threat. Yesterday, the dark-haired Argentine was at the U.S. Open, presenting Tracy Austin with the WTA’s Mentor Appreciation Award.

Sabatini, who won 27 WTA singles titles, including the 1990 U.S. Open, was asked about Kournikova’s career following her hideous tennis performance Monday when she embarrassed herself in a 6-3, 6-0 loss to Angelique Widjaja.

“Looks can bring a lot of attention, they give you a chance to have a lot of opportunities and advertisements,” Sabatini said. “I don’t know what it is. I think she can be a great tennis player. She’s been in the top 10 and she has the game to be there. It’s just a matter of having her objectives clear, wanting to be there.”

Sabatini, 32, who retired in 1996, is an entrepreneur and has 11 different perfumes and assorted watches.

In scary moment, Australian Mark Phillipoussis injured his troublesome knee, landing horribly on his left foot while up 2-1 in sets against Sjeng Schalken after jumping for an overhead smash. He was forced to retire and will need an MRI. The seven injury retirements in the first round tie an Open record for the entire tournament.

If you needed further evidence Martina Hingis isn’t fit to compete for a Slam final, she needed three hard sets against 53rd-ranked Marissa Irvin yesterday 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. “It’s not easy,” Hingis said. “Lindsay [Davenport], it took her nine months. I know my game for this tournament probably isn’t right there where it’s supposed to be.”

Venus Williams actually made history. As dominate as the two-time defending Open champion has been, Williams has never bageled an opponent in a tour match. She did so yesterday in bashing Mirjana Lucic, 6-0, 6-0. “It was nice to have that score,” she said. “I’ve never had it, maybe one in qualifiers a long time ago.”